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– Midweek Edition – VOLUME 175 • ISSUE 50 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2026
Supreme Court A RACE TO REMEMBER passes on fee case Lance Armstrong Staff writer
A local man’s decade-long legal dispute against El Dorado County’s $23,420 Traffic Impact Fee he was required to pay for the construction of a home near Placerville has come to an end. Sheetz v. County of El Dorado was considered by the U.S. Supreme Court for the second time on June 11. Four days later, it was announced the Court had denied the petition to review the case. George Sheetz, the man at the center, called the Supreme Court’s latest “... it’s sad decision “very depressing” we couldn’t during an interview with the Mountain Democrat. follow through “I understand the somehow and country comes first rather come to a than a local case,” said Sheetz, a 74-year-old resolution.” retired contractor. “I — George Sheetz understand that, but it’s sad we couldn’t follow through somehow and come to a resolution.” Sheetz recalled his frustrations began in 2016, shortly after he applied for a building permit through the county to have his 1,854-squarefoot retirement home erected on a 10-acre rural property on Fort Jim Road, between Placerville and Somerset. “It’s a manufactured home, (and) it’s already built, already been inspected by the state inspectors,” he said. “All they’re doing is coming in and setting it up on my property, and I got a bill (from the county). It was an enormous amount of money, and part of that fee was a ($23,420) Traffic Impact Fee. And I said, ‘I’ve never heard of such a thing in my life.’” The county collects the TIF and uses the funds for transportation improvements needed to accommodate growth anticipated by the El Dorado ■ See CASE, page A8
County’s road project plan gets an update Noel Stack Editor
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Road projects on El Dorado County’s west end dominated discussion related to the latest Department of Transportation Capital Improvement Program unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors on June 16. “The CIP is a longrange planning document that the department utilizes to analyze and estimate costs, schedules and funding for all of transportation’s projects … that are planned out from the current year all the way out to the 20-year horizon,” explained DOT Director Rafael Martinez. The CIP is reviewed every year with major updates done every five years. This year’s annual update includes
two significant program changes, both in El Dorado Hills: 1. Inclusion of intersection improvements at Appian Way and Silva Valley Parkway. 2. Transfer of the surface treatment project on El Dorado Hills Boulevard from Saratoga Way to Harvard Way into the DOT maintenance program. The Appian Way project raised some eyebrows as the board later in the day was set to discuss a Serrano subdivision project that could potentially benefit from that road improvement. In that later agenda item the board voted to continue the matter to no later than Sept. 29 to allow staff to work with the applicant to complete a supplemental traffic engineering analysis. Martinez called the two items on the same agenda a coincidence. “That had been brought to our attention from several traffic studies that were done … that illustrated that intersection, without any future improvements … (is) going to be needing a signalized intersection, like I said, without any additional traffic volume,” Martinez explained. “And because we had had two concurrent traffic ■ See ROADS, page A9
DON’T MISS
Mountain Democrat photos by Shelly Thorene
Walker Stanwood, 3, shed some tears before mustering up the courage to compete in the 82nd John M. Studebaker Wheelbarrow Races at the El Dorado County Fair on June 20. Eventually, he made his way over to the starting line and gave his all in the second heat of the race. Afterward, he smiled ear to ear as he ran back to the stands clutching a bag of candy.
Studebaker Wheelbarrow Races thrill the El Dorado County Fair crowd Shelly Thorene Staff writer
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ompetitors charged through the course during the 82nd John M. Studebaker Wheelbarrow Races at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds Saturday, entertaining spectators with a fast-paced tradition that honors Placerville’s Gold-Rush era wheelbarrow maker John M. Studebaker. Each year, the race is organized by the Placerville Kiwanis Club and this year the men’s race was dedicated to and renamed the Davey “Doc” Wiser Men’s Championship Race. Doc competed in 33 races in his career and came in third in the Men’s Championship in 2005, won the Old Timer’s Race in 2010 and came in second 2011-13 and third in 2017. His wheelbarrow was positioned near the entrance to the grandstand for all to see as they took their seats. There were 44 volunteers helping with the event and before the races began, some led each group of participants around the course to show them their route. Racers were reminded they had to retain all of their equipment (gold pan, sack of ore and wheelbarrow) until the finish and needed to meet or exceed the amount of ore required in their category. Youth girls and boys each competed with 10 pounds ■ See RACE, page A3
Teen Girls first place finisher Lucia Smith, 15, of El Dorado makes her way around Rattlesnake Gulch.
Gold Mine
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Published bi-monthly in the Mountain Democrat and Village Life
Kiwanian Ray Woods, right, celebrates with exhausted Youth Boys Race finisher Braxton Berg, 10, of El Dorado Hills at the finish line. Having only decided to compete in the race an hour before the event began, Berg won an award for being the “Most Inspirational” competitor.
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5.000% 5.30% 15 YEAR 15 YEAR 3.250 3.61 15YEAR YEAR 15 3.250 HOME LOAN3.250 HOME LOAN 15 YEAR 3.250 3.61 3.613.61 Fixed Rate
Annual Percerntage Rate
HOME HOME LOAN PLACERVILLE • 4040 El Dorado Road • 622-1492 • LOAN Purchase ReÀ nance Purchase • Refinance PLACERVILLE • 4040 El Dorado Road • 622-1492 HOME • LOAN Purchase ReÀ nance PLACERVILLE • (Downtown) 247 Main • 622-0833 •Advantage: Check the El Dorado Purchase ReÀ nance PLACERVILLE • (Downtown) 247Road Main • 622-1492 622-0833 4040 El Dorado
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